Month: April 2019

If you know me, you know that I’m a firm believer that the accelerator model is far from played out. I see it as an educational platform that you can point at companies, people, institutions… practically anything can be “accelerated” through a combination of peer and expert mentorship. That’s why I was super excited to see that a venture studio — which has a lot in common with the accelerator model — that I’ve been eagerly awaiting is now open for business and taking startup applications. Meet the Oregon Enterprise Blockchain Venture Studio (OEBVS).

When it comes to assessing the health of an ecosystem, startup or otherwise, rather than focusing on the financial aspects — like venture capital or exits — I like to take a look at the metrics of the job market. A bunch of open jobs filling quickly? Healthy. Few jobs or jobs remaining open for long periods of time? Maybe not so healthy.

While coworking is thriving in the Portland urban core with a variety of providers, there are any number of workers on the edges of Portland or residing in suburbs that don’t have a great deal of options. That’s why I’m always happy to see folks stepping up to support coworking options. Like the Tualatin Chamber of Commerce.

There was a time, not so long ago, when the Portland startup community used to gather on a regular basis at a happy hour called Beer and Blog. It was a time to catch up with friends. A time to make new connections. A place to send folks when they were looking to get better connected to the community. And it’s how many folks who are still involved in the Portland startup community met one another, originally.

Having issues with execution at your startup? You know, like getting blog posts done in a reasonable timeframe rather than at the last minute? Well, this upcoming workshop series with Pregame might be just what you need.

For as DIY as the 3D printing world tends to be, expert advice can still be a huge benefit to mastering the craft. That’s why it’s nice to see Autodesk and Ultimaker teaming up to help folks improve their 3D printing skills.

I don’t think I’m grasping for an analogy when I say that starting a company is like gambling. It is. It’s all about the timing. And the folks who are attracted to that sort of thing? They tend to like taking the risks. So it’s no surprise that a lot of those risk takers are attracted to Startup Poker 2.0.

Getting a little sad when you realize that Portland Startup Week is almost over? Well turn that frown upside down, my friend. Because there’s another week of amazing programming, gatherings, and open houses all next week with Design Week Portland.